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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Bonneville Power
Administration Warns of Possible Rate Increase Due to Low Cash Reserves
(Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, WA)
30 Bonneville Power
Administration Workers Get Jobs Back Amid Hundreds of Layoffs & Buyouts
(Washington State Standard)
‘Wild West’:
Montana Regulators Want Answers on Huge Power Requests from Data Centers
(Energy Central News)
Developers Put
Brakes on Multiple Solar Energy Projects in Southcentral Alaska, Citing Costs
& Federal Politics (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
It’s a Girl!
Researchers Confirm Newest Southern Resident J Pod Calf Is Female (KOMO News,
Seattle, WA)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Bonneville
Power Administration Warns of Possible Rate Increase Due to Low Cash Reserves
2. Energy
Northwest, Amazon Ask Richland to Buy Into $4 Billion Small Modular Nuclear
Reactors
3. Pacific
Gas & Electric Tries to Reassure Investors Amid Growing Wildfire Concerns
4. Pressure
Builds on Army Corps to Produce Years-Late Reports on Willamette River Basin
Dams
5. California:
Pacific Gas & Electric Evaluating Plans for Eel River Dam Removal Project
6. California
Lawmaker Proposes New Law to Limit Rate Increases for Investor-Owned Utilities
7. Pend
Oreille PUD’s Box Canyon Power Obligated Through 2042
8. Kennewick-Based
Cascade Natural Gas May Face $1 Million Penalty for Alleged Pipeline Violations
9. Vandals
Cause Large Power Outage on Washington Coast
10. Grant
County PUD Responds to ‘Misinformation’ and Explains Route Selection for Quincy
Transmission Line Project
11. Backers
of WA Natural Gas Initiative Plan to Refile Lawsuit to Force Compliance
12. Energy
Demand Soared in British Columbia During Last Week’s Cold Snap
13. SW
Power Pool Details Commitments from Public Power Utilities, Others for
Financing Tied to New Market – Includes Bonneville Power Administration, Chelan
PUD, Grant PUD, Powerex, Salt River Project, and Tacoma Power
14. 30
Bonneville Power Administration Workers Get Jobs Back Amid Hundreds of Layoffs
& Buyouts
15. Haphazardness
of Federal Layoffs Causes Concern with U.S. Sen. Murray (WA), Public Power
Council
16. Former
Leaders of Bonneville Power Say Federal Staffing Cuts Threaten Stability &
Safety of Pacific NW Power Grid
17. Rural
Oregonians Are Already Choking on Utility Bills. Trump’s Executive Orders Could
Make Matters Worse.
18. APPA
Urges Members to Contact Lawmakers on Federal Funding Freeze Impacts, Seeks
Details on Member Awards
19. Developers
Put Brakes on Multiple Solar Energy Projects in Southcentral Alaska, Citing
Costs & Federal Politics
20. WA
State: Plans in the Works for 80-Acre Solar Farm Near Connell
21. Is
Burning Trash Worth the Cash? Spokane to Use $650,000 in Grant Funds to Study
Incinerator as State Cracks Down on Emissions
22. Montana:
Trump DOE OKs First Loan Programs Office Disbursement — After GOP Senator
Voices Support
23. California:
A Futuristic-Looking Solar Energy Plant Is Doomed
24. It’s
a Girl! Researchers Confirm Newest Southern Resident J Pod Calf Is Female
25. The
Push Is on to Return Sea Otters to Oregon, Northern California Coasts
26. WA’s
UTC expected to complete investigation into CenturyLink landline issues
27. ‘Wild
West’: Montana Regulators Want Answers on Huge Power Requests from Data Centers
28. There
Are No Data Centers in Southwest Washington: Is That Good, or Bad?
29. Why
Weather Forecast Accuracy Makes or Breaks Power Suppliers in Today’s Market
30. Oregon:
Sen. Wyden Addresses Packed Town Hall in Hillsboro as Political Uncertainty
Brews in D.C.
31. WA
Commerce Department ‘Not in Compliance with State Law’ on Grant Funding, Audit
Finds – Digital Navigators Program Cited
32. Trump
& Musk Are Playing ‘Russian Roulette’ with the Pacific Northwest Power Grid
33. News
Release: Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from Trump on Bonneville Power
Administration Cuts, Impact on Electric Grid Reliability
34.
News Release: U.S. Reps. Pallone (NJ), Huffman
(CA), Hoyle (OR), Castor (FL) Demand Answers on Trump-Musk Layoff Spree of Grid
Workers, Risk to Electricity Supply
Word of the Day
Copacetic \coe-puh-SET-tick\ Adjective – Very satisfactory.
Relaxing gulf breeze
Tall, frosty peach daiquiri
Copacetic? Yes!
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Bonneville Power Administration Warns of Possible
Rate Increase Due to Low Cash Reserves (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business,
WA)
2.
Energy Northwest, Amazon Ask Richland to Buy
Into $4 Billion Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN)
3.
Pacific Gas & Electric Tries to Reassure
Investors Amid Growing Wildfire Concerns (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/Pacific-Gas-Electric-pcg-wildfires-state-insurance-fund/740159/
4.
Pressure Builds on Army Corps to Produce
Years-Late Reports on Willamette River Basin Dams (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/16/army-corps-willamette-river-dams/
5.
California: Pacific Gas & Electric
Evaluating Plans for Eel River Dam Removal Project (KRCR-TV, Redding, CA)
6.
California Lawmaker Proposes New Law to Limit
Rate Increases for Investor-Owned Utilities (KRCA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
7.
Pend Oreille PUD’s Box Canyon Power Obligated
Through 2042 (The Miner Newspapers, Newport, WA)
https://www.pendoreillerivervalley.com/article/2348,pud-s-box-canyon-power-obligated-through-2042
8.
Kennewick-Based Cascade Natural Gas May Face $1 Million
Penalty for Alleged Pipeline Violations (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities,
WA)
9.
Vandals Cause Large Power Outage on Washington
Coast (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
10.
Grant County PUD Responds to ‘Misinformation’
and Explains Route Selection for Quincy Transmission Line Project (Source ONE
News, Ephrata, WA)
11.
Backers of WA Natural Gas Initiative Plan to Refile
Lawsuit to Force Compliance (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_877e2278-eb19-11ef-b106-0fec337e278c.html
12.
Energy Demand Soared in British Columbia During
Last Week’s Cold Snap (Castanet, Kelowna, BC)
https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/533955/Energy-demand-soared-in-B-C-during-last-week-s-cold-snap
13.
SW Power Pool Details Commitments from Public
Power Utilities, Others for Financing Tied to New Market – Includes Bonneville
Power Administration, Chelan PUD, Grant PUD, Powerex, Salt River Project, and Tacoma
Power (American Public Power Association)
As the World Turns
14.
30 Bonneville Power Administration Workers Get
Jobs Back Amid Hundreds of Layoffs & Buyouts (Washington State Standard)
15.
Haphazardness of Federal Layoffs Causes Concern with
U.S. Sen. Murray (WA), Public Power Council (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/federal-layoffs-rescinded/4047609
16.
Former Leaders of Bonneville Power Say Federal
Staffing Cuts Threaten Stability & Safety of Pacific NW Power Grid (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
17.
Rural Oregonians Are Already Choking on Utility
Bills. Trump’s Executive Orders Could Make Matters Worse. (Willamette Week,
Portland, OR)
18.
APPA Urges Members to Contact Lawmakers on
Federal Funding Freeze Impacts, Seeks Details on Member Awards (American Public
Power Association)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/02/appa-urges-members-to-contact-lawmakers.html
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
19.
Developers Put Brakes on Multiple Solar Energy
Projects in Southcentral Alaska, Citing Costs & Federal Politics (Anchorage
Daily News, AK)
20.
WA State: Plans in the Works for 80-Acre Solar
Farm Near Connell (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/solar-farm
21.
Is Burning Trash Worth the Cash? Spokane to Use
$650,000 in Grant Funds to Study Incinerator as State Cracks Down on Emissions
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/feb/16/is-burning-trash-worth-the-cash-spokane-to-use-650/
22.
Montana: Trump DOE OKs First Loan Programs
Office Disbursement — After GOP Senator Voices Support (Canary Media)
23.
California: A Futuristic-Looking Solar Energy
Plant Is Doomed (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/futuristic-looking-solar-energy-plant-110404592.html
Fish & Wildlife
24.
It’s a Girl! Researchers Confirm Newest Southern
Resident J Pod Calf Is Female (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
25.
The Push Is on to Return Sea Otters to Oregon, Northern
California Coasts (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
London Calling –Telecommunications
26.
WA’s UTC expected to complete investigation into
CenturyLink landline issues (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
27.
‘Wild West’: Montana Regulators Want Answers on
Huge Power Requests from Data Centers (Energy Central News)
28.
There Are No Data Centers in Southwest
Washington: Is That Good, or Bad? (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
29.
Why Weather Forecast Accuracy Makes or Breaks
Power Suppliers in Today’s Market (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/why-forecast-accuracy-makes-or-breaks-power-suppliers-in-todays-market/
Politics, Governance,
and Management
30.
Oregon: Sen. Wyden Addresses Packed Town Hall in
Hillsboro as Political Uncertainty Brews in D.C. (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
31.
WA Commerce Department ‘Not in Compliance with
State Law’ on Grant Funding, Audit Finds – Digital Navigators Program Cited
(KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
32.
Trump & Musk Are Playing ‘Russian Roulette’
with the Pacific Northwest Power Grid (Latitude Media)
33.
News Release: Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from
Trump on Bonneville Power Administration Cuts, Impact on Electric Grid
Reliability (U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, OR)
34.
News Release: U.S. Reps. Pallone (NJ), Huffman
(CA), Hoyle (OR), Castor (FL) Demand Answers on Trump-Musk Layoff Spree of Grid
Workers, Risk to Electricity Supply (Committee on Energy and Commerce, Democrats)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Oregon Middle
School Teacher Is on a TikTok Quest to Name This Game the State’s Official
Sport
Webb Telescope
Observes Violence Around Milky Way’s Central Black Hole
Goodyear Blimp at 100:
From Ronald Reagan to Ice Cube, ‘Floating Piece of Americana’ Still Thriving
Chinese ‘Snow
Village’ Apologizes for Using Fake Snow
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/02/18/Chengdu-Snow-Village-fake-snow-apology/3631739903533/
Song of the Day
Cantu – She’s
Leaving Home (Acapella Beatles Cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8kPsRJEUm0
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